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Washington 



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WASHINGTON'S HOME. 



(By permission of The Colonial Magazine.) 




HISTORY OF THE 



^' MOUNT VERNON ASSOCIATION/ 



By Susan £♦ Johnson Hudson, Secretary* 



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Hanzsche & Co. 

Printers and Engravers^ 

Baltimore. 



Washington's Home* 



HISTORY of the MT. VERNON ASSOCIATION. 



By SUSAN E. JOHNSON HUDSON, Secretary. 



**The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the 
Union" was founded in 1854, by Miss Cunningham of 
South Carolina, the first Regent. She appointed as 
Vice-Regents one lady from each State. 

The immediate object of this first woman's society 
was to raise funds for the purchase of two hundred 
acres of the Mount Vernon estate, including the man- 
sion and the tomb wherein repose the mortal remains 
of Gen. Washington. The ultimate design was to 
teach the people of the United States to remember 
Washington and his great achievements. To attain 
this result and bring the people into sympathy with 
this great man and his daily life, here, in this home so 
dear to his heart, there must needs be a faithful res- 



toration of the surroundings and conditions existing 
during his residence, while above and beyond all was 
the fervent hope that Mount Vernon should become a 
shrine whither all liberty-loving pilgrims should resort 
in reverence and veneration. 

The association appealed to the country for ;^200,- 
000, the price demanded for this portion of Mount 
Vernon. The pledge given was the preservation and 
restoration of the home of Washington. How has 
the association redeemed its pledge ? 

It is needless here to recount the disasters and dis- 
couragements which attended the initiative efforts of 
this small band of devoted women. One formidable 
cause of opposition, scarce credible in our day, was 
the prejudice then prevailing against women as work- 
ers in any public affairs. 

But, inspired by the enthusiasm of Miss Cunning- 
ham and guided by her marvellous ability and execu- 
tive talent, each State was canvassed and officered, and 
enthusiastic interest awakened, with the result that the 
sum required was collected, and that in 1858 Mount 
Vernon became the property of the Mount Vernon 
Association. 

Once in possession, the association realized that 
their work had but begun, for ruin and decay showed 
on every side. Nothing daunted, repairs were insti- 



tuted, a small steamboat was leased for the convey- 
ance of visitors to Mount Vernon from Washington — 
the gate fee being twenty-five cents ; and there was 
much to encourage the hope that in a few years Mount 
Vernon would be restored to order and beauty. 




MOUNT VERNON MANSION. 
(West or original front.) 

Alas, civil war burst upon us ! The Government 
took possession of the Mount Vernon steamboat, and 
all means of self-support ceased. The superintendent 
alone was left in charge, all work was necessarily 
stopped, and through those terrible days and years 
the place stood isolated. With hostile armies surging 



.up and down past its gates, with no defence, Mount 
.Vernon stood self protected ; no harm came near it. 
Officers and soldiers in grey and blue knocked at the 
gates, which were opened to them. Their arms were 
stacked outside, while they entered and sought the 
tomb, where they met as brothers. A few hours later 
and these men were again arrayed in battle against 
each other ! There is but one act of desecration re- 
corded during these years. An eagle which sur- 
mounted the iron railing of the tomb w^as stolen. 
This was returned two years ago as mysteriously as 
it had disappeared. 

As soon as peace was proclaimed the association 
was called together by the Regent, for consultation 
and to devise ways and means to recommence the re- 
pairs at Mount Vernon. At this juncture the condi- 
tion of the estate was appalling. The mansion showed 
rotten timbers, leaking roof, decayed floors, and not a 
stick of furniture. The great barn held up a roof 
like a sieve, through wdiich the rain poured down 
upon crops and stock ; there had been no new roof 
since Washington's day. 

The roads were almost impassable, the wharf un- 
safe, the servants' houses scarce habitable, and above 
all the channel of the river was nearly filled up. 
Where to begin work in this chaotic ruin was the 



question. Another steamboat, was leased, friends 
arose on every side, material aid flowed in, if not in 
money, in building material, in fertilizers, in food for 
the stock — assistance came in all shapes. The press 
throughout the land stood by the association. The 




MOUNT VERNON MANSION. 

(East Front ) 

Masonic lodges responded to the call to save the 
great Mason's home from destruction. Wall Street's 
Brokers' Board sent money, while little children 
clubbed together to rebuild a gate, others to rebuild 
the colonnades. The work of repair progressed 
steadily year by year. The association has adhered 



strictly to two rules : " Do thoroughly whatever is to 
be done, and, No debts.'' 

The necessary repairs accomplished, then came the 
task of restoration. In the mansion the replacement 
of such furniture as was owned by Washington has 
been accomplished where possible ; when this was not 
obtainable, furniture of historic value and of the past 
century style has been placed in the rooms. The 
bedstead on which Gen. Washington died stands in 
his room, mirrors are restored to their former posi- 
tions. Nellie Custis' piano stands in the music room 
again and Washington's flute lies upon it. Clocks 
are returned to their mantels, chairs, tables and a 
sideboard have resumed their places. The large 
silver-mounted plateau, used at Washington's state 
dinners, is now returned to Mount Vernon, a recent 
gift from a Vice-Regent, herself, a great granddaughter 
of Martha Washington. There are also in the cabi- 
nets, laces of Mrs. Washington, jewelled buckles of 
Gen. Washington, fans, china, etc. The collection of 
original letters from Washington and the rare collec- 
tion of engravings of his generals are most valuable 
and interesting. Each room in the mansion is in 
charge of a Vice-Regent, who furnishes it in the name 
of her State, and through whose personal exertion 
and expenditure it is maintained. A most valuable 



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acquisition has been received this year from a Vice- 
Regent — an exact architectural plan of the mansion, 
detailed in a book of fifty-six pages, of minute meas- 
urements, wherein every niche is given, every decora- 
tion, bit of carving, ornamented ceiling and chimney 




THE ROOM IN WHICH GEN. WASHINGTON DIED. 



piece, and elevation of each floor, so complete that 
should any accident occur, the mansion could be re- 
stored with entire fidelity. 

The association has sought and obtained every 
possible means to guard against the destructive work 
of fire. A comprehensive water system is in opera- 
tion, also a steam-engine that raises the water from 



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the Potomac. A large chemical fire extinguisher 
plant is placed under ground. All of these safeguards 
can be operated upon three minutes' notice by a well- 
drilled fire brigade of employees 

Many of the large improvements are the result of 
the generosity of the Vice-Regents. The last exten- 
sive work has been eliminating the sw^amp near the 
boat landing. This tangle of trees, undergrowth and 
morass was the foul centre of the malarial fevers 
always incident to Mount Vernon. These twelve 
acres have been reclaimed and reduced to a meadow 
of sweet clover, from which the river is shut out by 
a substantial water wall. The cost has been over 
5^,000. 

This board of willing, quiet workers is governed 
by the one principle : the preservation of the home of 
Washington. Now the roads are in fine order, the 
fences are all good, the drainage is sanitary and ex- 
cellent. A fine new wharf with a commodious pavil- 
ion receives the thousands of visitors brought to 
Mount Vernon on a large steamer ; and the eighteen 
and more cottages and outbuildings are all in perfect 
condition The garden is as Washington left it, with 
the quaint box-wood hedges and borders, the old-time 
roses, pinks, lilies, mignonette, -sweet-william, lilacs, 
magnolia trees, and acacias, while even the green- 



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houses and servants' quarters are restored and are as 
Washington saw them. The lawns he loved, the 
trees he planted, all are there, silent but eloquent. 




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WASHINGTON'S TOMB AT MOUNT VERNON. 



The dream of the enthusiastic founder of the 
Mount Vernon Association is realized. The home of 
Washington is restored, and has become the shrine 
of liberty-loving pilg-rims from home and foreign 
lands. His tomb is religiously cared for by women 



12 



who love and revere bis memory. Washington is 
remembered, and never can be forgotten while his 
home and tomb are there to appeal to the heart and 
soul of all. Follow him through the winding walks, 
under the trees he planted, and into his library sur- 
rounded by his books or seated before his secretary. 
Then pass into his room ; stand by the bed on which 
he died. At last, go over to his tomb, there rever- 
ently bow ; for you have communed in spirit with 
George Washington, the great and good, the brave 



and 



wise 



Has not the Mount Vernon Association redeemed 
its pledge given to the country ? 




LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



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